Edga-r ebenezer mann



- (No Model.\ 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. E. MANN.

- TENT.

No. 499,240. PatentedJune 13,1893.

3 sheets- -Sheet 2.. E. E. MANN.

(No Model.)

TENT.

PatentedJune 13, 1893.

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PATENT OFFIC EDGAR EBENEZER MANN, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

TENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,240, dated June 13, 1893.

Application filed October 20, 1892. Serial 110.449.477. (No model.)

and useful Portable Tent, of which the fol-- lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tents; and the objects in view being to provide a new and improved tent embodying simplicity of construction, portability, and cheapness.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tent constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical central transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the tent, the same being folded, struck, and ready for transporta tion. Fig. 4 is a detail in vertical section and partial elevation of the joint between the rafters, standards, and stretcher-bars of the tent. Fig. 5 is a skeleton View of the tent frame, the, cover removed, and the parts being folded as when packed for transportation. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the stretcher-bars and its engaging bracket.

1 designates the center or main pole of the tent, and the same is stepped in a metal socket 2, having a pointed lower end adapted for driving into the ground, the socket and pole being secured in this instance by a screw 3 passed through the socket into the pole.

The upper end of the pole has set therein a metalbushing 4 that is surmounted by a metal cap 5, having a corresponding opening, and into this bushing there is seated and secured by means of a screw 6 the extension-staff 7 of the pole. This extension-staff is preferably polygonal in cross-section, in this instance rectangular and the same enters a socket 8, formed on the under side of aheadplate 9. The head-plate 9 and stafi are connected bya screw 10 passing through the wall of the socket.

The head-plate 9 is polygonal in cross-section in accordance with the number of sides 'the tent is to have, and in this instance, inasat its upper end in a reduced andslightly elongated neck 15. The lower end or base of the dome is flanged outward, as indicated at 16, and at intervals agreeing with the openings 13 in the head-plate, is likewiseprovided with openings and through the openings in the flange and those 13 in the head-plate, bolts 17 pass, and serve to secure the dome in position upon the head-plate. The upper end of the dome is made solid, and is provided with a bored perforation 18, into which extends a screw 19. The dome is surmounted with a hollow conical cap 20, the same being more flared than the dome, and provided with an internal, reduced neck 21 at its apex that is designed to fit over the neck of the dome. The cap is also perforated and through it passes the screw 19. The screw 19 has a head 22, and above it a flag-staff receiving socket 23, into which a flag-staff may be readily set and retained in position.

Upon the pole-extension or stalf 7 there is mounted for sliding a runner-plate 24, and the same agrees in contour with the head 12, and is therefore in this instance, rectangular in plan. This runner-plate like the head has its four sides provided with a series of pintle-eyes 25, has a central rectangular-opening 26 for the reception of the staff 7, and at opposite sidesthereof has perforations 27, in which eye-bolts 28 are located. These eyebolts are connected by a link 29 which has an eye 30 at its center into which is engaged the upper hook-end 31 of the handle-rod 32,

whose lower end is provided with a hand-hold or loop 33, the said rod being designed to deof a metal box 36 into which are inserted the upper ends of said rafters, and secured in position by means of screws 37.

38 designates stretcher-bars, which like the rafters have their inner .ends set into metal sockets 39 secured thereto by screws 40, said sockets having hinges 41 formed at their outer ends and connected with the pintle-eyes of the runner 24.

42 designates the vertical standards, there being one for each angle of the tent, and the same are provided at their ends with staples or keepers 43, through which vertical tentpins 44 are loosely passed, and by means of which the said standards are secured or anchored to the ground.

45 designates a triple box, by which I mean, a box consisting of three sockets, said boxes having their adjacent edges hinged together as indicated at 46 and being capable of swinging at various angles to each other. These boxes serve to connect in a hinged manner the outer ends of the rafters, the stretcherbars and standards, all as will be clearly seen, the standards terminating in the boxes while the stretcher-bars and rafters extend through and beyondthe same, the latter extending across the stretcher-bars, which latter therefore serve as braces, and hear at their outer ends against the inner sides of the rafters.

47 designates the top of the tent, and the same is conical and given the required shape to form the four-sided tent. The top of the tent is provided at its apex with an opening, and is surrounded by a collar 48. The tenttop 'is provided at its four corners and at its lower edge with pockets 49, and between the same the edges of the top depend forming shallow depending portions 50. The top is placed upon the dome and drawn snugly over the same after which the bonnet 51 is mounted upon the dome and top. The cap is then mounted upon the bonnet and the whole is secured together by means of the screw 19. The extended ends of the rafters 34 enter the pockets 49 of the top and by drawing down upon the handle-rod 32, the stretcher-bars 38 serve to spread the rafters and stretch the top. The standards 42 are then anchored in position by means of the anchor-pins 44. Each of the standards is provided at its opposite side with keeper-plates 52, and the.

same are provided upon their faces with keepers, which receive the securing-lugs 53, with which the ends of the intermediate or wallstretching bars 54 are provided. The wallstretching bars are formed in sections which are hinged together at 55, and are therefore capable of folding, as will be apparent. The

upper sides of these stretcher-bars 54 are provided with grooves 56.

57 designates the side walls of the tent, or the flaps they are sometimes called, and these are provided at their upper edges with double hooks 58, the lower ends or prongs of the hooks being passed through the upper edges of the sides or flaps and at their upper ends taking into the grooves 56 of the side walls stretcher-bars. To the depending portions 50 of the tent-top is stretched or otherwise secured the series of depending flies or curtains 58, the same being located between the pockets 49 and serving to cover the joint between the side-walls or flaps and the top.

The ends of the rafters 34 have projecting therefrom eye-bolts or screws 59 and into the same engage the upper ends or rings 60 of guyropes 61, which are secured at their outer ends to tent-pins 62, the'said guy-ropes being stretched and the tent-pins driven in the ground in the ordinary manner.

In addition to the side wall braces 54, I prefer to interpose between the rafters above said braces an inner set of braces 63, said braces being formed in sections hinged together by means of a rule joint 66 and-at their outer ends to said rafters as at 04, between which they are interposed. These braces break inward or upward and serve to brace the rafters along the frame more rigidlyand to support the canvas composing the top of the tent so that sagging between the rafters is avoided.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a tent thatmay be constructed of any desired shape, that is,

having any number of walls; that the said a tent may be readily set upor taken down and packed conveniently for transportatiomthat there are no loose pieces liable to be lost and render the tent useless, that the same is light and portable; that the joints are'all well covered and protected so that the interior'of-the tent is kept dry during heavy weather; and that as a whole the framework is strong and rigid, not liable to become impaired, and is thoroughly braced.

In setting up the tent, the center-pole is first set up, after which the rafters, their stretcher bars and standards are loosened from the ties employed for securing them together, the ban die-rod drawn down soas to spread the parts, the inner braces pushed out so as to render them rigid, and the outer braces placed in position, after which it is simply necessary to secure the side-walls or flaps upon the outer braces and to secure the guy-ropes in the usual manner. To strike the tent, the operation is simply reversed, the guy-ropes are loosened, the side-walls are removed, the standard folded against the stretcher-bars 38, the handle-rod pushed upward, and the whole closed up much after the fashion of an umbrella.

Various means may be provided for securfolded, the center-pole removed and the whole bound together securely as clearly shown in the drawings, whereby it is ready for trans portat-ion.

It is to be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is I 1. In a tent, the combination with the center-pole, the radiating inclined rafters, and the stretcher bars between the rafters and the pole, said rafters extending beyond the stretcher-bars, of the top or roof, surmounting the rafters and provided opposite the stretcherbars with pockets for the reception of the latter, said pockets extending beyond the edges of the roof,substantially as specified.

2. In a tent, the combination with inclined rafters and their supports, beyond which the ends of said rafters extend, of a roof having pockets in its edges for the reception of the outer endsof the said rafters, substantially as specified.

3. In a tent, the combination with inclined rafters and their supports,.of a roof or top having pockets forthe reception of the ends of the rafters, eyes secured to the endsof the rafters, and guy-ropes connected with the eyes, substantially as specified.

4. In atent, the combination with a central support, of a series of rafters pivoted attheir upper ends to the central support, stretcherbarsmounted for sliding at their inner ends upon said support, standards located below the rafters, and a triple socket for receiving the rafters, stretcher-bars, and standards, the branches of the socket being hinged at their adjacent ends, substantially as specified.

5. In a tent, the combination with a central pole, a head at the upper end of the same, and a runner mounted for sliding on the pole below the head, of a series of inclined rafters, sockets for the same, said sockets being hinged to the head, aseries of radial horizontal stretcher-bars connected to the inner ends of the same and hinged to the runner, standards for the rafters, and stretcher-bars, sockets mounted on the rafters, stretcher-bars, and standards, and hinged connections between the three sockets, the rafter passing through said socket and beyond the ends of the stretcherbars and standard, and the end of the stretcher-bar extending beyond its socket and bearing against the rafter, substantially as speci- I 6. In a tent, the combination with the center-pole, the head, the runner, the rafters hinged to the head, the stretcher-bars hlnged .to the runner, the standards, and the hinged,

connections between the outer ends of the rafters, stretcher-bars, and standards, of the elastic band for securing the same in a folded position, said band being provided at one end with a key-hole slot and at the other end with a stud, substantially as specified.

7. In a tent, the combination with the center-post, the head at the upper end of the same, the conical dome surmounting the head and having a reduced upper neck, of the rafters declining from the head, the tent-top surmounting the rafters the dome and neck, the conical cap surmounting the cover and dome and having a neck encircling that of the dome and top a screw passed downwardly through the cap and dome, and a flag-staff receiving socket mounted on the screw, substantially as specified. 7 y

8.. In a tent, the combination with a centerpost, the head at the upper end of the same, and the runner mounted for sliding on the post of the inclined rafters'hinged at their upper ends to the head, the stretcher-bars hinged at their inner ends to the runner, and at their outer ends to the rafters, the'intermediate rule-joint braces 63 hinged at their ends to the rafters, substantially as specified.

9. In a tent the combinationwith the standards of theintermediate braces having groovesin their upper edges, and the side walls of the tent having hooks at their upper edges removably mounted for sliding in the grooves, substantially as specified.

10. In a tent,'the combination withthe center-post, the head at the upper end thereof, the conical dome upon the head and the rafters declining from the head, of a top sur-. mounting the dome, and rafters, a bonnet surmounting the top, and the cap surmountingthe hood or bonnet, substantially as specified.

11. .In a tent, the combination with the center-post, the inclined rafters, the cover sur-' mounting the rafters, and having pockets for receiving the ends thereof, said cover having a depending portion between the pockets, of standards having supporting rafters,b'races interposed between the standards and reinovably connected therewith, flaps or side walls movably connected with the braces, and flies secured to the depending edges of the top, and overlapping the connections between the side-walls and braces, substantially as specified. I

12; In a tent the combination with the center-pole, the head at the upper end thereof, and the link mounted for sliding on the head, of the declining rafters hinged at their upper ends to the head, the stretcher-bars hinged & 499,240

at their inner ends to the runner and at their 111 testimony that I claim the foregoing as outer ends to the rafters, the curved link my own I have hereto affixed my signature in loosely connected to the under side of and dethe presence of two Witnesses.

pending from the runner, and the handle-bar EDGAR EBENEZER MANN. 5 loosely connected to the link and depending WVitnesses:

at the side of the post, substantially as speci- ALBERT J. SAWYER,

fied. A. E. MANN. 

